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Well, last month Ida from OMF told me about the possibility of my favorite football team, Real Madrid to come to Manila. And I read it from the news again today. The super rich Filipino businessman Manny Pangilinan (ahem, uncle Manny? LOL) is currently in the talks and still ironing things out for the REAL MADRID tour to my very own Philippines! OMG! I will be the happiest person in Manila if the happens! haha 😀

Real Madrid Campeon Copa Del Rey 2011 (google images)

It will be a dream come true to meet my favorite footballer ever – Ricardo Kaka! And Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas and the whole team. Wow, how cool is that. And I certainly won’t miss that chance if that plan pushes through. I won’t let it pass. So I sincerely hope and pray that it will happen. 🙂 I’m super excited!

It was in the news today. The RP’s Men Football Team won against the defending champion Vietnam in the AFF Suzuki Cup yesterday. I am so happy! In a basketball-crazed country like mine, it is so great to know that the national team is doing well in the tournament beating the current champion in the region. And although, we are still just few compared to the basketball fans in the country, I am sure that all football-loving Filipinos are so proud of this achievement. Hopefully, in a few years, we will be able to qualify too in the FIFA World Cup. That is one of my dreams. I promise I will surely watch the RP team play live in the pitch someday and I will cheer for them with my whole heart. 🙂 Congratulations, Team Philippines!

The 23rd item onmy 1000 things to do before I kick the bucket is done. I’ve visited Singapore during the last week of July this year. Though I spent only 3 days there with my cousin LJ, I enjoyed my short stay. LJ, my cousin is there for her internship as a HRM student, so I just followed 3 months after she got there. It was good that I visited because she was home sick and it’s her first time to be away from her family. I could tell how much she misses having us around, but she still have to endure a few more months. Well good thing there is a JIL Church there she could attend to fellowship with them, keeps her busy too as she joined the church dance group 🙂

Anyway, SG. Such a beautiful place. Very cosmopolitan. Very urban.

It was my first overseas trip so I was really excited. My first overseas trip and my first plane ride, and I was alone. My first time for a lot of things… like going to airport, checking in, going through the immigration, custom, etc… almost everything was first time so I was pretty excited. But I have to admit I was nervous.

It was good the airline (Cebu Pacific) gave me the window seat so I could take a look at the scenery (mostly clouds….never ending clouds…lol and water…. ). It was good I booked an early flight, like 6am, just almost in time for the sunrise, a great way to appreciate God’s creation so I was really thankful for that experience. Makes me wonder how some people can claim that God does not exist. Who can make these awesome and magnificent creations? No man can ever do this.

Leaving Manila

The beautiful sunrise in Manila. Now who would claim that there is no God? See the beauty of his creation.

Even though I barely slept the night before I left not because I was too excited but because I packed my bags late…( yes, cramming!) I still survived the 3-hour flight. I think I slept only for an hour because I got bored looking at the clouds and the sea. So there, arriving at the beautiful Changi Airport with my cousin already waiting for me. So I am in a foreign soil already. We went to the foreign exchange for some Singaporean dollars. Then we stayed a bit roaming the Changi Airport, took a few pictures and had our lunch. My first SG meal? – Burger King! LOL. And it became my official restaurant for my SG trip, well almost. 🙂

Changi Airport

My typical meal in SG that made me miss the rice. Yes, no rice for 3 days.

We took the MRT ride to reach my hotel in Novena, which is quite far. I think it took us about an hour or so. Getting off in Novena station, we were clueless how to go to Value Thomson Hotel so we asked a local, who was nice enough to tell us our way. Most of the locals we encountered were nice I have to say. Since the vehicles are left-hand drive, the traffic flow was different from what I’m used to. We had to walk to get to my hotel because it will be a waste of time and money to get into a cab given that the hotel was just a few blocks away . Good thing though that I only have one luggage but packed with clothes good for a week (I’m not a light traveler) but we didn’t have much trouble pulling my suitcase around 🙂

My cousin asked me, “So do you already feel the SG atmosphere?” I answered, “Not really. I kind of feel like I’m in a business district of Makati City, Forbes Park and Global City combined.” Yes, that was the feeling. Plus, there were lots of Filipinos around.

So we reached the hotel, which looks nice but the room is a bit small, well very small actually but nice looking. We didn’t waste anymore time so after I changed my clothes for the 2nd time (I already changed while I was at the airport because I felt a lil uncomfortable with the top I was wearing), we hopped into the MRT again to go to the famous Marina Bay.

Me on our way to Marina Bay (yes the picture is blurred.)

Some random people in SG

The cosmopolitan area of Singapore.

Marina Bay was packed. There were lots of people that afternoon, first because Singaporean students were practicing for the National Day of Parade and because of the fireworks display. We took a few pictures of us then headed to The Flyer, the World’s biggest observation wheel to take a look at the whole SG from above. I have fear of heights but who cares? I want to be on that wheel. It cost us SGD 30 each. It was cool that we also witnessed some military plane exhibition while we were up there.

The Flyer.

The Flyer.

Tube.

A view from the giant observation wheel – The Flyer.

A closer shot (view from The Flyer)

Singapore sunset as seen from the Flyer.

I was craving for some rice meal so I was looking for KFC or Mcdonalds thinking maybe they serve rice there, but there’s nothing around. I was actually afraid to try Singaporean food thinking it might ruin my short trip if in case I get some stomach problems, so I thought I’d stick to fast food even though it is very unhealthy, but at least I’m familiar with them. But I tried their version of ‘dirty ice cream’, that only cost a dollar. That’s the only Singaporean food I’ve ever tried I think while I was there. (I already have dinned in a Singaporean restaurant in Manila, and to be honest, I didn’t like it ).

Ice cream wrapped in a bread.

Then, we decided to take a few more walks around Marina Bay before dinner. Took a few more pics. Our feet hurts so bad for the walks but for the sake of the trip, we didn’t mind walking a few more. Of course we took some pictures with the Merlion, Marina Bay Sands and the Esplanade. 🙂

Marina Bay Sands

Durian. (The Esplanade)

Merlion through my lens.

The Merlion.

Some more Merlion picture.

Then we decided to head home but before that, to some fast food first for dinner. It was already past 10pm, I think almost 11pm and most stores going to the MRT are starting to close. We passed by BREAD TALK and decided to buy some bread for our breakfast the next day and then hopped into the MRT. Upon reaching Novena, we hurried up to go to, guess what? Burger King! But to our disappointment, it was already closed. huhuhuhu…. We were so hungry and no stores were open anymore except for the 7/11 that sells ramen noodles and the hawkers that are not quite appealing to me really. We just bought water, went back to our hotel and had the bread for dinner, watched some movies, planned for what were going to do the next day and slept.

2nd DAY

We woke up quite late than we planned so we got ready and left as quickly as we can. This day, we’re going to India! 🙂

Well, just a taste of India.

The Little India.

This is actually a must-visit place on my list for that SG trip. I will not go back to the Philippines unless I go to Little India . hahaha… Well, don’t blame me, India is one of my dream destinations and getting a little of India in Little India was incredible. 🙂

The moment we got there, I told my cousin, “Now I feel I’m in a foreign land.” LOL. I didn’t feel like I was in Singapore anymore. I felt really like I’m in a different country. The smell of the curry, the Indian music (I think it was in Tamil) being played in some stores we passed, the people, it’s just very foreign! And I’m enjoying it. However we got a lot of stares from people, particularly from men. I don’t know maybe we have dirt in our faces? LOL. But really, they look as if it was their first time to see such creatures. (I’m sure we’re not ugly. lol) So I took the stares as compliments, as long as they won’t harm us. Others would even say hello and ask for our names. We didn’t answer back for the fear of sending them wrong signals. It’s actually not the first time, at the airport we got some stares from men too (some were even Filipinos trying to make pa-cute, hindi naman cute. lol. ), then in the MRT and in Marina Bay, but mostly from Indian-looking men and mind you, they are good looking Indian men, well most are… hahaha… But I didn’t bother.

So there, walk walk walk around Little India. Took a few pictures of the architectural designs in the establishments. Then headed to the Mustafa shopping center. And it was a chaos there! Well not really. But I’m just not used to that kind of shopping center. I bought a few things as my take home present/souvenir for family and some friends back home. And found the “After Eight” chocolate there too! Cool! I even bought a tea for our Indian senior officer in my company, as he asked me if I could buy him a box or two after he learned I’m flying to SG. Apparently, that tea (the brand name is Dilmah and that is his favorite tea) can only be bought in India, Sri Lanka and SG (I am not sure where else but it’s not available in Manila that’s why.)

A street in Little India

Some street in Little India.

British school in Little India

Prince of Wales, Singapore Backpackers Pub

The Little India Arcade building.

Some nice building.

Hinduism.

Bombay Cafe.

Then we roamed a bit more to find some temples and mosques. We thought the famous “Sri Mariammam Temple” was there but not. Though we found another temple called “Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple“. We didn’t have much time to go to China Town where “”Sri Mariammam Temple” is located, so we settled for this.

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple.

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple.

Little India 🙂

Masjid Angullia

So we headed back to Novena, ate lunch, went back to our hotel to change and off to JIL Church in Orchard to attend the Sunday afternoon service. We were late but still went there to fellowship. We passed by the busy Orchard Road and noticed a lot of Filipinos. My cousin said there’s a place there where most Filipinos gather to spend their rest day from work.

JIL Church in SG. It was nice to fellowship with them.

After that, we decided to visit my friend in her work who is a manager in one of the pizza companies in Bedok. So we had some free dinner courtesy of my friend. 🙂 It was great seeing her after a long time. Then we went back to Orchard to spend the rest of the night before going home. It was a bit late so most stores were closed and we can’t shop anymore. So we just took some pictures of the famous Orchard Road and had coffee at Starbucks. It was great to end the night with some coffee. 🙂

At Wheelock Place

Orchard Road.

Orchard Road.

Fashionista in Orchard Road (my cousin LJ)

I’m not crazy about shoes, but I love this ad. LOL

I saw Wayne Rooney in SG! LOL (I still have the world cup fever that time.)

Starbucks in Orchard Rd.

3rd DAY

Time to go home. My cousin needs to go to her work and I have to prepare also for my flight in the afternoon. It was sad that I’m leaving her but we had no choice. So since I am like her older sister, I talked to her and gave her a few advices and instructions to keep herself safe there. She got no family there but at least the JIL family is there so I told her to stick with them and always pray. It grips my heart leaving her. She told me she won’t just take me to the airport because she would just cry, plus she also have a work that day. So she left the hotel and I packed my things to get ready. But then I went to Orchard Road again by myself to some last minute shopping. Well luckily, The Great Singapore Sale was still on that time I was there. So who can say no to shopping? LOL.

And while having breakfast at Mc Donalds, I decided to go online through my mobile phone. Then I saw his offline message on yahoo that he sent a few hours back. Whew! (Anyway, that’s another story.)

Went back to my hotel, grabbed my luggage, checked out, hopped into the bus (btw, I like most of their buses) then to the MRT and to the airport. I don’t know but that time I really wanted to go home. I know it was a very short stay but that moment I felt so alone. My cousin is at work and I have no one to talk to except for the cab driver that took me back to the hotel from Novena station.

At the airport, I checked in my luggage just in time and decided to just kill my time there, reading the book and writing on my journal. I felt sad that afternoon and I knew the reason.

My cousin kept on sending me text messages telling she would miss me and that she feels like crying. I told her to always remember what I said to her and she’ll be alright.

I roamed around the airport while waiting to board the plane when they called the passengers for the last time. I thought I still have time, so I hurried up and boarded the plane. However after a few minutes, the captain announced that the flight will be delayed as there is some fixing they need to do in the plane and he can’t fly us back home unless everything is fixed. So we were back to the airport lounge, good thing there are few computers that were set up there to let delayed passengers like us surf the net while waiting. I stayed in one of the seats, pondering about my whole trip, the beautiful SG, my cousin being alone in a foreign land, my family back home, my friends, my delayed flight and him. I was exhausted, both my body and mind. I fell asleep for about an hour in that chair. Then at around 7pm, we were called to board the plane again to go home.

“Finally” , I said to myself. I can’t wait to be home.

I missed my family so much. Even though I live alone in Manila (I have my own place) I still go to my family’s house most of the time which is just a 10-20 minute drive. And since I was in SG for only 3 days, it should just feel like I’m at my place, however it was still different, I didn’t feel at home and I felt so alone. I wonder what my cousin must be feeling.

I took out my journal to write some thoughts about my trip like I did on my flight going there. And as I write, I cried. Good thing I was in window seat again and the passengers beside me (a mom and her grade school daughter) were already sleeping. I need to be home I know.

I cried not because I was missing my family. It’s for a different reason that has nothing to do with Singapore really. So I thought, ‘what a way to end my first international trip’. *sigh*

Oh well …

SG is a fine place. It’s beautiful. It’s an icon of economic power in the Far East. It was a pleasure being there really. To sum it up, I will say it again, although there are still a lot of differences, Singapore is just like a huge business district of Makati City combined with the posh Forbes Park Village and Global City in Taguig. One major difference though is that, people are more disciplined.

There has been a recent commotion online (at least among Filipinos, particularly Filipino English teachers) due to a video clip circulating in cyberspace about how this certain Korean actress, Lee Da Hae, apparently insulted the English skills of Filipinos in one of the shows of KBS. (KBS already pulled out all the videos in youtube, claiming copyrights although we all know that they just want to save Lee Da Hae’s ass.)

I was able to watch it and even though the show was in Korean, they flashed the flags of USA, UK and the Philippines, enough for non-Korean speaking viewers to understand that they were talking about these 3 countries. Lee Da Hae, who as claimed speaks English well as she stayed in Australia for 5 years to study, tried talking or mimicking English teachers from the different countries mentioned above as requested by the hosts. She was asked to say “Excuse me. I’m a little bit thirsty. Can I have a glass of water please?” First was the American, which to me, (I am not American though) doesn’t sound American, but the pronunciation was okay… the accent was neutral. Second, apparently was a British accent, and again, it doesn’t sound too British to me (I know this because I have a British friend who I talk to almost everyday since 2006), except on how she pronounced the word “water”, omitting the ‘r’ in the end. Then finally, the Filipino way, which turned out to be, yes I have to say, insulting because we don’t speak English that way. I think she intends to be funny, but some Filipinos didn’t find it amusing at all.

With the strong influence of the West to the Philippines, particularly the USA, which can be traced almost 100 years back, Filipinos speak English either the same as the native speakers or at least in a neutral accent. While I won’t deny that some Filipinos have regional accent due to their dialects spoken in their hometowns, I would say, a majority of Filipinos do speak English well.

But which accent really is better? The argument on which English accent is better is never ending. I heard some claiming American English is better as it is easier to understand. To others, it is the British English. And more than once, I even heard some people from the UK sarcastically asked, “What American English? Is there such a thing?” For most Filipinos who (even though I hate to say this, but this is the truth) have this ‘Everything American’ attitude (thanks to the Western influence and the ever growing call center industry that killed the patriotism of the present generation), being able to speak English like the Americans is essential as it is considered (at least in our society) as a status symbol. They feel as though speaking like the Americans somehow put them in the (imaginary) pedestals. It is as if they are superior to those who know little or can’t speak the language.

Filipinos are also known as the English grammar Nazis, particularly those who are living in the major cities. (I have to admit, I am sometimes, okay most of the time, a grammar Nazi myself, however I make sure that I don’t offend others when I try to correct them.) Yet, despite of that, Filipinos still have flaws in their English skills, often in pronunciation and grammar and so are the native speakers of English. I mean, who doesn’t commit grammar mistakes? All of us do. Who hasn’t mispronounced words? We all have.

This actually reminds me of a conversation I had with my friend’s wife after I posted a hot picture of Cristiano Ronaldo in my facebook account (Yes, that one you can see above! :P) during the height of World Cup 2010. She asked me if I have seen the Castrol ad of him. That time, I haven’t and asked her jokingly, ‘Why? Is he also looking hot in that ad?” She answered, “Actually, it’s not about that. It’s when he talked. It was the worst English accent that I have ever heard.” And I was like, ‘Duh?! He is Portuguese. What do you expect? It’s not his native language.’ I found her comment so annoying. Of course for a person whose first language isn’t English, would you expect him to speak so well and with all that phony accent? Come on! I actually like the way he speaks English in his accent and I think it makes him sexier. 😀

Seriously, why are people so crazy about the accent? And going back to my question, so “Which English accent is better?” Or is there such a thing as a “better English accent?” I don’t think so. Accent is influenced by geographical location of the person. An Italian can speak English with that distinct accent because it is influenced by their native language, which is Italian and it is spoken differently. A Filipino, whose first language is Filipino (the prestige register of the Tagalog language according to Wiki and is influenced by the Spanish language) also pronounces some English words different from the American English. I, for one, usually mispronounces the word ‘comfortable’, putting the stress in the wrong syllable, thus resulting to my bf M (well ex now) always correcting me. It’s because in Filipino, the word is pronounced differently.

They said American English is good and the accent is somehow easier to understand. The trainers in the call center industry aim to have the trainees speak the American way (or at least that was the scenario a few years ago, because I think gone are the days when you have to speak in their twang in order to land a job in a call center.) Others said, British English is better because that is the ‘REAL English’ and it is sophisticated. Well, as my British friend would say, POSH! 😀 I think the reason most of us give high regards to the American and British English is because of our “everything-foreign-attitude.” Most of us, Filipinos and others from non-English speaking countries desperately want to sound like the natives, with all that accent. But it’s their language. We have our own too and we should speak better in our own languages than the foreign ones. I think what really matter is that we are able understand them and that we can be understood.

I don’t really want to get serious about this whole “Lee Da Hae insulting Filipinos” issue. Because well, I do know that it’s not true. Filipinos speak English well and not in that accent. (Come on, why would thousands and thousands of Koreans go to the Philippines every year to study English if they don’t think we speak English well?) However, I reacted via this blog post because it made me think why people are so crazy about acquiring American or British accent. Please tell me, why?

The hostage standoff that happened a few days ago in Manila should not define who the Filipinos are or should not be the basis of how safe it is in the Philippines. Tragedies happen, no one likes it. It happens not just in the Philippines but in all cities all over the world, like the school rampage in Virginia Tech that took the lives of 32 innocent college students and teachers in 2007, the 17-year old kid in Germany who killed 15 people, or the attack in a kindergarten school in China that killed 7 children and 2 others just a couple of months ago. We all feel the anguish over what happened and we sympathized to all the family of the victims. Mr. Mendoza may have done something wrong but he’s not the sole person to be blamed. The hostage crisis just showed us many realities – the injustices, lack of proper training, lack of funds, inadequacies, inhuman treatment, biases, unfair treatment given to Filipinos abroad and so many others. It could have been prevented like many of us say, and that is true.

Living in what the powerful nations called as a “Third World Country” like Philippines is hard and incidents like these that tainted our image as nation in the international community makes it even harder, especially for the Filipinos abroad trying to make a living. We are judged. We’ve already been branded. People in the some parts of the world seem to have forgotten the Filipinos’ contributions to make their lives easier. Our fellowmen, out of wanting to give their families back home a proper shelter to live, food on their table and education for their children, accept the jobs even if that means being away from their families.

They forgot to be grateful to the Filipino domestic helpers abroad who help make their lives easier by taking care of their children and looking after their houses. They forgot to be grateful to Filipino caregivers who assist their aged parents in nursing homes or to the Filipino nurses and doctors at the hospitals. They forgot to be grateful to the Filipino waiters and waitresses who prepare their family meals while these Filipinos wish they were having dinner with their families instead. They forgot how to be grateful to Filipino drivers and construction workers in the Middle East. They forgot how to be grateful to Filipino seafarers on the cruise ship that makes their luxury travel even more fun and entertaining.

They didn’t know the effects of having a love one work abroad taking care of other people’s children instead of their own. They miss a lot of opportunities to show their love for their offspring. For mothers and fathers who weren’t able to see how their infants grow up, to hear their babies utter their first words, to see them climb, to see them walk, to send them to school on their first day of classes, to see them received their first award in school. They didn’t know the effects of not being around. Their children grow distant, their own children not even knowing who they are.

These are the sacrifices that these brave Filipinos abroad endure, and yet they treat them in an inhuman way, physically torturing or sexually violating some of them and the most recent, firing them from their jobs just for being a Filipino. No one wishes for any of the hostages to die including Mr. Mendoza. What he did was wrong whatever reasons he may have, but this action is not enough to be ashamed of him as a fellow Filipino. He was a good Filipino citizen but he was a victim as well, a victim of injustices that is. The insensitive mob, including those officers smiling before the camera was a shame I have to admit, but I will not be ashamed of being a Filipino. This tragedy will not define who we are as people and as a nation. We are still a nation of God-fearing citizens, hardworking individuals, optimistic and hospitable people. As long as these traits remain, Philippines is still a safe place to be.

“I am personally saddened about learning that the former president Aquino is in the hospital fighting for her life. I pray that she gets better soon.”

~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~

This is what I wrote in my journal while we were on our way home from the church where our head pastor lead a prayer for the former President Aquino. Indeed I was personally saddened upon learning her condition while she was still Makati Medical Center, but now my heart grieves for her loss.

I was born in the 80’s. I was 4 years old when she became the president. All I could remember was the election, seeing her rival, Marcos’ face on the television and hearing my parents and some adult relatives and neighbors talking about them. I even remember saying, “kawawa naman siMarcos” , but I was corrected by my aunt, telling me that he deserves it. Of course, I really have no idea what was happening that time, I don’t understand what was going on, all I know is that the dictator Marcos looks pitiful on television. But the people around me were all rejoicing over Aquino’s victory.

Few years after that, I was in my mother’s hometown which is a 2-hour drive from Manila, I remember while playing “baril-barilan” (toy guns) with my childhood friends (yes I used to play a lot of boys’ games) an elderly neighbor shouted at us and told us to stop playing. She said, there is already a chaos happening in Manila and playing a game like that is not good. She was talking about the coup d’é·tat in Manila during Aquino’s administration.

Then I also remember seeing advertisements on TV with some of the military men’s faces whom the government called as state enemies for staging the coup. I particularly recalled Honasan’s head shot. I also remember the massive power interruptions. Other than those I have mentioned, I don’t remember anything anymore during her term. I guess I was too young to remember.

About 1-2 decades after, I have some good memories about Mrs. Aquino. I don’t personally know her and haven’t even seen her in flesh but with her participation in fighting for truth, justice and righteousness during the past few years, she had earned my utmost respect. She bravely went out to the street and made her stand on political issues. Even after being diagnosed for cancer, she still didn’t stop supporting the fight for the righteous government. Truly she is an icon of democracy. We were encouraged when she joined forces with the Filipinos who never lose hope for the Philippines.

I was saddened by her illness and grieves for her death. I felt like we have lost someone so significant, someone so vital for the fight we are fighting for the future of the nation. That I think is the very reason I grieve.

For the past few days, reports were showing the whole Philippines in grief. We are all mourning. They also showed how her death unifies the Filipinos. It is indeed good to see my fellowmen show concern and not being apathetic on what is going on. It is a good news from the bad news. But I hope it will not end here. I pray and hope that President Aquino’s legacy will always be remembered. I pray it will continue to live on in every hearts and minds of each Filipino citizen.

Thank you President Corazon Aquino. Thank you, you made us proud to be Filipinos.

I have read some of the old posts I have in my now defunct blog at blog-city. Some of them were funny, optimistic, too dramatic and others are just plain non sense. LOL. But I don’t know, what happen to my optimism? I feel like it’s either it has decreased tremendously or I already have lost it completely? I use to write about anything I see and feel, stories about my stupidity, my childhood memories, how I bully and got bullied, the series of posts I wrote about Mr. Dome Cake! hahaha….and everything. Reading them makes me feel really good. It’s nostalgic. Life that time may not be exactly as “extravagant” as what I have now but it was fun in its own way. I wasn’t careless but I don’t limit myself too much depriving myself of the things I enjoy. I remember how I would write so long, my readers call it already a novel. hahaha… But so much has changed. I can’t exactly say all these changes are for the better. But I have really come a long way.

A year after the peak of my blogging life, when I somehow lost my interest in updating my space on the web, I have experienced so much, things you can’t even imagine. My life has changed so much. It was turned up side down.

Wow!Was it for the better? I can’t really say. It has been a roller coaster ride, even up to now.

There was even a time I wrote which I titled “I like how things are going this way now” which is about how I got over my ex and how I look at the “bright side of life.”

I wrote poems, both in Filipino and English, trying to become Shakespeare or our local Balagtas. I would write about the places I’ve been to, people I have talk to, even the sms I received, and I write them in details.

My readers were not plenty but they rock! Most of them were young professionals or teens, but one thing I was kind of surprised about was attracting a mother to read my blog on a regular basis.

She said she likes the way I write, entertaining, full of enthusiasm even if the story is tragic. She said she can relate to my heart-broken posts.

Then I wrote about this mysterious guy with nice looking feet I’ve met in a coffee shop where I work. How he puzzles me until now of his identity. Who the hell was that guy?

The open letter I wrote for myself. The letter for MR. DAWAN! hahaha… (DAWAN- which means “THE ONE”) Man, look how flirt I was (or am?) LOL. I wrote quite a few about men. (Oh okay, not few, more than a few about men I encountered. hahahaha…. Such a flirt young lady I was.)

But I am no longer young now. After about 6 years or more, I am here. Older. Yay! I still have that sense of humor in me but not quite like before. I think some happenings in my life has changed my perspective about the world and people I mingle with. I hate to admit but I have become more of a drama queen now. LOL. And he hates it. I hate it too. Time really can change a person. I am not the same person I was 10 years ago.

God, I am really getting old! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!!

*panic mode – running around the room screaming!*

I want to go back to that time when hurt and pain hasn’t affected me that much. When I still can wear a big smile despite the hardships I was facing. When I see the world so big and great. When I make friends to just about anybody and just let my guard down.

How nostalgic this is.

I want to go back to the time when I first saw the Mmmbop video on MTV, to the time John called me from the airport just before his plane takes off and when he made his overseas call, to the time I realized I had a crush on Mr. Dome Cake, to the time B and I were barely starting our friendship, to the time I met Jars of Clay at Greenbelt mall that I almost fainted when they shook my hand, OMG!, to the time I won a book of Bob Ong’s in one of his online contests, to the time I received an invitation to attend the open poetry contest in Maryland, USA, to the time I bought my first computer out of my own money, to the time when my high school crush Jay talked to me for thinking that I was my sister (he knows my sister and we look like a twin they say), to the time when I would just leave home, go to the mall or park and just sit on the bench or on the grass and write, sip my coffee, look at the people passing by….

And of course to the time I first saw him on the camera. How he captured my eyes, though there was a sort of an awkward moment for a few minutes, but it felt good, so good that the things I didn’t expect I’d do, I have done it right that time. To the time I was walking on my way home after our first meeting, the feeling as if you are floating in the air and smiling like a total idiot, to the time he would call me “Jaan” or “Mahal ko” , how we talk about our future and how he wants our future kids to look like me and how I want them to look like him instead (he’s so handsome! Oh those beautiful eyes), and every time he whispers the 3 most powerful words. These are some of the good old days I have. The times where I want to be again.

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“Travel can become a compulsion. It keeps us away from friends and loved ones – even when we’re back. When I’m away, I often yearn for home. When I’m home, I’m listless. I seem no longer to fit. History and literature are filled with characters who see Asia, or Venice, and can never go […]

(*This is part 2 of 2 of KL Day 3) So that means we walked again. Yeah we love walking under the hot KL sun. And I love sarcasm too. 🙂 We reached the Bird Park which boasts itself for being the world’s biggest walk-in aviary. We handed the ticket that we bought from the […]

(This is the 3rd installment of my trip to KL. I divided it into 2 posts because it’s pretty long as usual. 🙂 This is Part 1 of 2) Saturday – November 19 I was up as early as 7 and started getting ready for our day tour. I went downstairs to join F for […]

Like my birthdays in the past, I made sure I was not in front of my work desk on my birthday this year. It’s sort of a personal tradition to not work (or go to school when I was still a student) on my birthday. No way I’m working like a horse on my day! […]

Like last year, I made a list of what I consider significant events in my life this year. This list is in random order. 1. New Job – After resting for about 6 months from the rat race, I joined a new company again in February 2011. It is one of the known organizations in […]